Flexible Body Armor Vest with Breast Plate

Abstract

Body armor vests and other articles having combined ballistic performance and overall weight characteristics are described. A representative body armor vest comprises both a rigid breast plate and a flexible fabric adjoining the breast plate. Both components may comprise a plurality of unidirectionally oriented fibrous layers comprising fibers having high tenacity and a high tensile modulus.

1 . A body armor vest comprising
 (a) a rigid breast plate, and   (b) a flexible fabric adjoining the breast plate   wherein the breast plate and the fabric each comprise a plurality of unidirectionally oriented fibrous layers comprising fibers having a tenacity of at least about 7 g/denier and a tensile modulus of at least about 150 g/denier,   wherein the vest has a total weight of less than about 3 kg (6.6 lbs).   
     
     
         2 . The vest of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric overlies at least one face of the breast plate. 
     
     
         3 . The vest of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibrous layers of the breast plate are molded and the plurality of fibrous layers of the fabric are consolidated. 
     
     
         4 . The vest of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous layers of the breast plate and the fabric independently comprise polyolefin fibers or aramid fibers. 
     
     
         5 . The vest of  claim 4 , wherein the fibrous layers of the breast plate and the fabric comprise polyethylene fibers. 
     
     
         6 . The vest of  claim 1 , wherein the vest is resistant, in the area of the breast plate, to a rifle bullet having an energy from about 1600 J (1180 ft-lb) to about 4000 J (2950 ft-lb). 
     
     
         7 . The vest of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous layers of the both the breast plate and the fabric are in a resin matrix. 
     
     
         8 . The vest of  claim 7 , wherein the fibrous layers of both the breast plate and the fabric are in a resin matrix having a tensile modulus of at most about 27.6 MPa (4,000 psi). 
     
     
         9 . The vest of  claim 8 , wherein the fibrous layers of the breast plate and the fabric are in a resin matrix comprising a resin independently selected from the group consisting of polybutadiene, polyisoprene, natural rubber, ethylene-propylene copolymers, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymers, polysulfide polymers, thermoplastic polyurethanes, polyurethane elastomers, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, polychloroprene, plasticized polyvinylchloride, butadiene acrylonitrile elastomers, poly (isobutylene-co-isoprene), polyacrylates, polyesters, polyethers, fluoroelastomers, silicone elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers, and copolymers of ethylene. 
     
     
         10 . The vest of  claim 7 , wherein the fibrous layers of the breast plate and the fabric are in a resin matrix that is present in an amount from about 10% to about 40% by weight of the breast plate and the fabric, respectively. 
     
     
         11 . The vest of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality fibrous layers of both the breast plate and the fabric are in a cross-ply arrangement of unidirectionally oriented fibers with adjacent layers of fibers extending in a direction of 90° relative to one another. 
     
     
         12 . The vest of  claim 11 , wherein the breast plate and the fabric comprise from 2 to 8 fibrous layers. 
     
     
         13 . The vest of  claim 12 , wherein the breast plate and the fabric comprise from 2 to 4 fibrous layers. 
     
     
         14 . The vest of  claim 1 , wherein the breast plate and the fabric have a combined areal density of less than about 39.2 kg/m 2  (8 lb/ft 2 ). 
     
     
         15 . The vest of  claim 1 , wherein the breast plate and the fabric have a combined areal density from about 4.89 kg/m 2  (1 lb/ft 2 ) to about 29.3 kg/m 2  (6 lb/ft 2 ). 
     
     
         16 . The vest of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric adjoins the breast plate by physical attachment. 
     
     
         17 . The vest of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric adjoins the breast plate without physical attachment. 
     
     
         18 . The vest of  claim 17 , wherein the breast plate is inserted into a pocket of the fabric and is removable from the fabric. 
     
     
         19 . A vest having high penetration resistance and comprising:
 (a) a rigid armor breast plate comprising a plurality of unidirectionally oriented high tenacity fibrous layers comprising polyethylene fibers having a tenacity of at least about 7 g/denier and a tensile modulus of at least about 150 g/denier, wherein the fibrous layers of the breast plate are in a resin matrix having a tensile modulus of at most about 27.6 MPa (4,000 psi), adjacent fibrous layers of the breast plate extend in a direction of 90° relative to one another, and the plurality of fibrous layers of the breast plate are molded; and   (b) a flexible fabric containing the breast plate and comprising a plurality of unidirectionally oriented high tenacity fibrous layers comprising polyethylene fibers having a tenacity of at least about 7 g/denier and a tensile modulus of at least about 150 g/denier, wherein the fibrous layers of the fabric are in a resin matrix having a tensile modulus of at most about 27.6 MPa (4,000 psi), adjacent fibrous layers of the fabric extend in a direction of 90° relative to one another, and the plurality of fibrous layers of the fabric are consolidated,   wherein the vest has a total weight of less than about 3 kg (6.6 lbs).   
     
     
         20 . The vest of  claim 19 , wherein the vest is resistant, in the area of the breast plate, to a rifle bullet having an energy from about 1600 J (1180 ft-lb) to about 4000 J (2950 ft-lb).